Howdy, fellow Preds fans.
By now, you’ve probably seen the reports that Vox Media, the parent company of SBNation, is slashing seven percent of their workforce. In addition, Vox also announced plans to “pull back” their coverage of hockey on the platform. This means several SBN hockey sites will no longer be monetized or managed by Vox.
Unfortunately, we’ve learned today that On The Forecheck is one of those sites losing Vox’s financial support after February 28th of this year. That also means our amazing team of paid staff writers and editors will no longer get a paycheck for their hard work.
Many of you have reached out to ask what this means for the future of OTF. And to be completely transparent with y’all, we don’t know.
In the short-term, we’re carrying on like it’s business-as-usual. That means you’ll still see all the normal posts — the dump & chase, the week ahead, the game previews/recaps, and all other Preds analysis from our team of writers — through at least February 28.
The long-term outlook is a bit more uncertain. We want to make it clear that it’s 100% the staff’s goal to continue bringing you fresh, unfiltered Nashville Predators coverage. We also want to continue fostering this amazing community of Preds fans — a haven where us long-suffering Smashville citizens can come together to banter, debate, celebrate, mourn, and scream into the abyss together.
However, the honest truth is that we’re still working through a bunch of stuff behind-the-scenes. There will be significant changes, including many beyond our control, and we can’t guarantee what any of them will mean for this site moving forward. We promise as soon as we have more definitive news about our future, y’all be the first to know.
Regardless of what happens next, consider this post a THANK YOU to all of you who have supported us over the years. Since the genesis of On The Forecheck in 2005— under the watchful eye of the O.G. Forechecker, Dirk Hoag — we’ve tried to make this site a fun place to discuss Preds hockey. Each and every one of you are a big part of that. Whether you weigh in on our stories, vent with us in the game threads, or interact with us on Twitter and Facebook, we’re appreciative beyond words for every bit support you’ve given us. You guys make this awesome, even during times where covering the Preds isn’t exactly fun or easy. You guys are also the reason we want to keep this train rolling.
Again, the moment we know more, we’ll let you know.
We love you all, and as always, Go Preds!